Page 27 - Issue 3 2020 - Kyalami Connect

Estate News

NATURE
Kyalami Estates
Brand Manual
Birding in the morning was washed out by (rivers). It was constructed over 100 years
heavy rain followed by a surprisingly quiet ago, and we were given a guided tour of the
(for birding) afternoon. A Mountain Scops establishment by Salaam. It was interesting
Owl called all night. to see how monks as young as four years
old live their lives of dedicated Buddhism
Birding companions on these trips are every day.
often ‘just a little odd’ and on this trip
an eccentric German fellow fitted this In the town, we were also treated to a visit
description perfectly. His appearance to a true oriental bazaar market replete
could be described as having been slightly with a great variety of grains, garlands of
dishevelled, with relatively long, uncombed chillies, silk, hand-woven bamboo crafts,
hair, old-fashioned spectacles and ragged hocks of yak meat, fermented cheese balls
and worn clothing. He was obviously of and colourful textiles. Nearby, Blue-capped
high intellect, and married to a financially- and Blue Rock-thrushes, noisy White-crested
Above: Terraced independent woman who hated travel of Laughingthrush, Grey-winged Blackbird
Valley Rice Paddies every conceivable type (because of motion and Black-throated Parrotbill were spotted,
(RS) sickness) and was accordingly more or less whilst in drier scrub, encounters with
Below: Great confined to the village in Germany where Rusty-cheeked Scimitar-Babbler, Striated
Hornbill (MA) they lived. They had two grown-up children Prinia, Himalayan Bulbul and Three-banded
and he was retired. Apparently, having Rosefinch, were made.
secured a doctorate (PhD) in forestry
science after leaving school, he found Departing from Trashigang, we travelled
his way into commerce, making a small through Chir Pine forest to our next
fortune in trading derivatives, before being campsite located in broad-leaved forest
shut-down by legislation introduced by the 20km east of Mongar (largest town of
German authorities. Then, aged 55, he eastern Bhutan). Crossing the Kulong Chu,
devoted all his time and a good deal of his we passed a hillside studded with Royal
resources to birding, producing his own bird euphorbias, a very African scene, before
field guides for every trip undertaken. But making a surprising discovery - on a rocky
what was, in my view, remarkable about hillside, we saw a pair of Himalayan Brown
him was his diet whilst on birding trips, Goral (type of goat). Following the contour,
as well as Black-backed Forktail, gorgeous which consisted exclusively of cheese and the road took us through subsistence
Scarlet Minivet, Crimson and Black- chips/crisps (if available) for breakfast, farms, which were mainly terraced lands of
throated Sunbirds, Black-naped Monarch and three 750ml bottles of the local beer rice paddies and fields ploughed (two oxen
and a pair of Scarlet Finches. Climbing for both lunch and dinner, supplemented and a wooden plough) for potatoes and
out of the lowlands, it was not long before again by cheese and chips/crisps. beans, largely on the lower slopes of
we were adding mid-montane elevation He collected the labels of the the valleys. Birding stops along
birds to our list, including Rufous-bellied beers he drank, pasting the way produced Darjeeling
and Black Eagles, Chestnut-tailed Minla, them into a scrapbook Woodpecker, Smoky
Crimson-browed and Gold-naped Finches, of sorts, had a Warbler, White-browed
Green-tailed Sunbird, Black-eared and lovely dry sense Shrike-Babbler, Red-
Green Shrike-Babblers, secretive Spotted of humour, was tailed Minla and Nepal
Wren-Babbler, Brown Bullfinch, Himalayan very bright and Fulvetta.
Swiftlet, and Streak-breasted Scimitar- knowledgeable,
Babbler. We also secured brilliant views surprisingly Onwards further
of the globally-threatened Rufous-necked physically fit west to Yongkhola
Hornbill. despite his (1 800m), we
unusual trip reached our next
Our campsite at Morong (1 700m above diet, and never campsite for two
sea level) comprised of five tents for the suffered any nights. Birds seen
eight group members, a tiny loo tent and stomach upsets. during the day included
a dining tent. In the evenings we received Totally contrarian in Golden-throated Barbet,
a small bowl of water to bathe in (no almost everything he did, Golden-throated Large Hawk-Cuckoo,
shower) and at dinner a hot-water bottle. he was a very interesting Barbet (DS) Common Green Magpie,
A body-bag which was to be used inside character! Rufescent Prinia, Grey-bellied Tesia,
our sleeping bag was so difficult to get Yellow-vented Warbler, Steaked Yuhina and
into that I abandoned mine for the duration Commencing the 100km journey to Large Niltava. Rain accompanied by strong
of the camping. We were also given a Trashigang, we stopped alongside a cliff-face winds right through the night resulted in the
booklet listing the daily menus for that part where Giant Rock Bees had constructed collapse of four of the five accommodation
of the trip. Broadly speaking, breakfasts massive combs clinging to overhanging tents, most of my companions emerging in
comprised of either corn flakes, muesli or ledges. These were attended by a single the morning wet and cold.
porridge, followed by eggs (to order) and Yellow-rumped Honeyguide, (one of the only
toast. Lunches usually included rice and two Asian representatives of this African bird Continuing on to the fabled Limnethang
vegetables of various kinds and dinners family), which was intent on helping itself to Road, a birding hotspot which can produce
always started with soup and then moved bee grubs in the combs. some of the most awesome birds on the
on to rice or noodles, mixed vegetables, planet, we encountered even more rain and
sometimes with cheese, and shredded beef, After passing through forests of flowering mist, resulting in very few new birds for the
pork or mutton (occasionally curried). By magnolias and colourful rhododendrons day, other than Golden-spectacled Warbler,
and large, the food prepared by our chef on the slopes of the Yongphu La en route, Collared grosbeak and Golden-breasted
was perfectly adequate in terms of both we eventually reached the settlement Fulvetta which braved the weather.
quality and quantity. of Trashigang located at the foot of a
steep wooded valley at midday. During Having now dealt with almost half of the
Travelling further north towards the town the afternoon, we indulged in a bit of new bird species (lifers) I was hoping for
of Trashigang, we climbed a further 650m local culture, visiting the very impressive during the trip, this concludes the first
to our view-site camp (2 350m) which was Trashigang Dzong overlooking the part of my chronicle about my Bhutan
100km south of the town and bitterly cold. confluence of the Drangme and Gamri Chu adventure.

Kyalami Estates • CONNECT • Issue 3 • 2020 25